The present invention relates to a control unit for vehicle and a total control system therefor, and more particularly to a control unit for vehicle and a total control system therefor whereby to control the engine, transmission, brake, electronic throttle, suspension and the like.
In recent years, a control unit mounting a single-chip micro-computer is used in vehicle control. The single-chip micro-computer incorporates memories (ROM, RAM and so on) required by calculation of the central processing unit (CPU). Therefore, there is an advantage in that the control unit can be miniaturized as a whole, being easy in use and high in processing speed.
However, the conventional technology has an disadvantage in that expanding of the control unit is considerably limited when the software and/or hardware happen to be changed due to change in the control specification. Further there is a disadvantage in that the software program needs to be made under a limitation of the hardware when a single-chip micro-computer is used in vehicle control, and especially whenever fuel cost or cleaning of engine emissions is to be improved, increase in number of input/output and upgrading of function are indispensable and all the hardware and software needs to be renewed.
Furthermore, since the control software program for performing various control written in the ROM is represented in an assembler language, the contents and the production technique of the program cannot be understood except an expert in the field, in other words, such a program belongs to individual. Therefore, no person except an initial programmer actually participating in the production stage of the application software program can understand the detailed contents of the software program. When there is need to add other function to the application software program, the program requires to start over.